All-digital cable move may spark viewer ire

Cable subscribers who own a cable-ready analog TV — which means most customers — have it easy. They simply attach a line from the wall into the back of the set, and it's ready to go. On cable's most popular service, that means access to about 80 channels — including those that define the medium, such as CNN, ESPN and USA Network. They better enjoy it while they can. Cable companies are eager to sweep away analog channels to make room for digital high-definition and interactive services. And Comcast, the No. 1 operator with 38% of cable's 65 million video customers, is about to lead that charge with the industry's most ambitious — and potentially riskiest — effort yet to change the way cable subscribers watch TV. The reason is simple: Analog sucks up too much bandwidth, and that makes it hard to deliver the often lucrative services that customers are starting to want. "We need the (analog) real estate for all kinds of advanced services, whether it's HDTV, higher-speed (Internet) service or more ethnic channels," says Derek Harrar, Comcast Cable's general manager of video services. "We will redeploy the bandwidth for applications that are going to improve the experience for different segments of our consumer base. That's really what it's all about." But that may create headaches for millions of people who like things the way they are.
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